


The Agony of an Instant

by blarfshnorgull



Category: Fire Emblem: Fuukasetsugetsu | Fire Emblem: Three Houses
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Fire Emblem: Three Houses Church Route, Gen, Hallucinations, How many times can I work the phrase burning in here? The answer might surprise you, It’s an exact word count therefore it is a drabble, Suicidal Thoughts, but like ambiguously, but not enough to warrant a warning imo, descriptions of violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-04
Updated: 2020-03-04
Packaged: 2021-02-28 18:01:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 500
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23011441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blarfshnorgull/pseuds/blarfshnorgull
Summary: Rhea already lived through hell once. She can’t do it again.
Relationships: My Unit | Byleth & Rhea, Rhea & Sothis (Fire Emblem)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 29





	The Agony of an Instant

**Author's Note:**

> I love Rhea but also I love that ending cutscene in ss so it’s Rhea suffering hours. Which the game said was all hours bc the game refuses to let her rest.

Fire burns through Rhea’s veins. Scorching and all consuming, burning away at the very depth of her soul. Ripping,  _ screaming _ agony coursing from the hellfire burning her heart.

Screams echo through the air, deafening her. Another blinding burst of pain swallows her whole as the burning spreads even further.

Was that her? 

Is she screaming?

Another wave of agony rends her piece by piece, so debilitating that she can’t even bear the burden of screaming. 

She wants to beg her mother to make it stop. She wants to beg anything out there to free her from this pain no matter the cost. She just wants someone,  _ anyone _ to end this torment.

But she has no voice to beg for mercy anymore.

She reaches to the very core of her being for the only thing left to free her from this misery. It’s foolish, suicidal even, but if it will free her from this, she’ll welcome her end like an old friend.

She cuts through layer after layer of her mother’s gift to her. Like taking a vegetable peeler and cutting through her own skin, watching the ribbons turn into petals. 

In some horrible and twisted way, it’s the most relief she’s ever felt.

As she cuts herself free from her own skin, she finally feels release from the burning that threatens to consume her.

At this moment, Rhea finally understands what the people of Fódlan mean by eternal flames. The flames would burn you until there was no relief other than a different kind of torture. Flames that would burn away hope until you end your own misery.

Perhaps this is her punishment for her hubris. For telling her mother that Fódlan is more important than the heavens.

Yes, if the eternal flames exist, this is most certainly it.

Rhea closes her eyes as she falls back into her own hell, awaiting her end. It’s almost serene amidst the agony.

Only for a pair of arms to catch her in her descent.

She opens her eyes, a useless action since the pain had blurred her vision. Yet the last vestige of her hope urges her onward.

“Mother…”

The words are barely an exhale. She can barely find the strength to speak, but she can’t leave this world. Not yet.

“I’m so sorry I—”

“Hush,” her mother interrupts, her voice gentle and sad. Most likely disappointed in what has become of her daughter.

What other reason would someone so divine have to appear before one as selfish and weak as herself?

Her mother’s hands clutch her tighter, almost protectively.

“You’ll make it through this, I promise.”

“I thought I—”

Her mother shushes her again. It’s almost nostalgic, but somehow fragmented.

If her mother is here does that mean she belongs by her side?

Can she truly be allowed peace?

“Rhea please stay with me!”

Ah.

It never was her mother, no matter how much she pretended. Not even at the beginning.

Somehow knowing it’s Byleth lets her rest just as easily.

**Author's Note:**

> Does she die? Does she live? Who knows! I certainly don’t!
> 
> Just because she’s one of my favorite characters doesn’t mean she’s immune to suffering time lol
> 
> Mega shoutout to my beta newmrsdewinter


End file.
